CHAPTER ONE

The Farm

    And there I was! When I looked around, I saw other horses that looked like my mare. Then, I saw other things my size which were called ‘foals’ running on green stuff I learned was called ‘grass’. I tried to get up, but it was rather hard. After the first three times, I figured out how to stand up. Then, I thought since the other foals were running, I could, too. But after the first three running steps, I fell.  How humiliating and unfair! They got to run, but I didn’t. 

    My mare told me, “If you drink milk and get energy, you’ll be galloping in a little bit." And she was right!  

After five minutes of gushing down milk, I was galloping across the fields with my fellow colts. Then, towering over the hills of Chincoteague came horses with ropes and other things on them, but most importantly figures my mare called 'people'. The smallest one called out “There’s a new foal!” Other people surrounded the herd and started walking, causing the herd to start walking too. My mare then said, “Don’t be frightened. They’re just trying to get us to move”. 

    But what I saw past the hill was very frightening! New things – called sheep, cows, goats, and a farm – were everywhere! “We just couldn’t see the farm from over the hill.” my mare said. I didn’t understand most of that, and I didn’t like the part I understood but I still stuck with it.  

    At first, I didn't like the farm, but after I discovered stalls, I fell in love with the farm. Then, one night, when my stall door inched open, I barely stepped out because of the two things I discovered. The first thing I saw was an orange thing called a 'cat'. I wasn’t scared of it… until it did something unexpected: it hissed! I ran the other way into another creature called a 'dog'. I wasn’t going to fear this … until it also did something unexpected: it growled! I ran the other way to my stall and hid behind my mare. After that, I never went near those creatures unless I was forced to. But over time, I did get comfortable living with those creatures on the farm.

CHAPTER TWO

Training

    One morning, a boy came to my stall and said, “Time to start training”. He put ropes called 'reins' around me and yanked on them, forcing me to go the way he wanted. Then he forced me to go near that cat and dog. I wasn’t putting up with that mess again! I yanked on my side of the reins, causing the boy to faceplant right into a puddle of mud. He glared at me from the ground. 

    Then, the young girl came in and said “Be careful with that foal! It’s new”. He replied, “It’s the foal who should be careful! It made me faceplant into the mud!”. Seeing the boy’s face made her laugh. “What should we name her?”, asked the

girl. "I don't have time to play or make up a name. I must work”, the boy said. “Maybe …Maple?” the girl asked. “Anne, I have to work!” the boy said in a very harsh voice. “I know! Chestnut!” "Anne" said. “That does it!” the boy yelled. The boy then pushed Anne over, dusted himself off, grabbed my reins, and pulled me out of the barn. “Bye, Chestnut!” Anne said. 

    The boy pulled me toward the very dangerous cat and dog. I yanked on my side of the reins, but the boy didn’t fall. He just pulled harder. The good thing is he told the dog to stay, so the dog sat. The bad thing is that cats don’t obey commands, so the cat scratched me because apparently, when I made the boy faceplant, some of the mud splashed the cat.

    I whinnied in fear and hurt.  Then Anne yelled “Tom! (the cat) Christopher! (the boy) Be careful! Oh, Tom! Bad cat! Bad, bad cat! Bad! And Christopher, you just let this happen!?"  "Christopher" remarked, “Well, that foal you call ‘Chestnut’ made me faceplant into the mud, so she’s just getting what she deserves". Anne replied, “She doesn’t know any better”. “Oh, yes she does!” Christopher said, glaring at me. “She’s just stubborn!" Anne had an idea, “How about I train her?”. Christopher replied “Fine with me”. Then Christopher walked away. I had no idea what was going on or what they just said, but I was glad to go with Anne. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t be mean to you like Christopher. Now let’s go get that cat scratch fixed up.” Anne told me.    

    I was scared when a large person put a type of fabric on my cat scratch. “That should heal and protect it”, the large person said. “Thanks, Mom”, Anne said. “You’re welcome. But isn’t Christopher supposed to be training her?", Mom asked. “Uh…I’m training her now. By the way, her name is Chestnut”, Anne told Mom. “OK, now go and train her, sweetie.” Mom said. 

    As Anne skipped through an alley way and during the whole training session, she hummed, which made me feel this girl would never do anything bad to me. After the training session, we went for a dip in the lagoon. When I got back to my stall, I immediately flopped down onto the hay. Every day went similar to that day…until one day when people said to me, "Chestnut, you're ready to be ridden".

CHAPTER THREE

Riding

     I had heard from the other horses about this, but I had never really thought it would take so much strength. I thought it was easy… once you got used to it. First, they put a very heavy thing called a ‘saddle’ on me, and then Anne got on me and started kicking me! I just stood there, bored. 

    “She’s not getting it!” Anne cried to Christopher. “Maybe you could try talking to her, but I’m not doing any of this, since she made me faceplant into mud”, Christopher replied. “When will you just let that go?! It’s been five years since that happened!” Anne yelled. “OK. But aren’t you going to talk to her or 

something?” Christopher reminded Anne. Then Anne got off the saddle and talked to me, and since I had been with Anne more than any other horse, I understood. When people kick me in the side, it meant ‘go’ or ‘go faster’. After that, Anne got off and put a metal bar called a ‘bit’ in my mouth, so when they pulled right, left, forward, or back, I had to go the way they wanted… just like reins! 

    The bit was easier to get used to, since I had already learned what to do from the reins. In fact, it took three minutes, instead of three months. Then, Anne got on me, steered me, and kicked me, which altogether equaled 'riding'. Every day I rode with Anne until one day when the people said, “Chestnut, you’re ready to be raced”.

CHAPTER FOUR

Racing

    After they said that, they put me inside something called a 'trailer', and the next thing you know, I’m on a track with other horses. Then, somebody beside the track shot a gun in the air, and I was so spooked that I galloped as fast as I could, past the other horses, and past a white line on the ground.         Once Christopher pulled back on the reins, I felt calmer and started to slow down. The crowd around me cheered so loud that I pranced all around on the track. Other things like that happened at different times and on different days, and eventually I knew the gunshot meant to run as fast as you

can, past the other horses, and be the first to pass the white line. I enjoyed racing every time...until one day when I had to race against Anne! 

    She said she was forced to race, though, and of course I believed her. She was riding a selfish horse called Lightning Flash, and he wasn’t humble, either. “You're going to be sick, because you’ll eat my dust and swallow it, because I’m the fastest horse alive! You other horses are just dumb sloths trying worthlessly to run!”, Lightning Flash rudely announced to all the horses. I then fired back at him by saying, “Yeah, but at least we’re not rude babies scared to lose!” 

    This race I ran faster than any other race I had ever and would ever run, all because of Lightning Flash. When I won,  

Lightening Flash was so mad that he kicked my side, sending me down on my right. Christopher was on that side, so I landed on him. Christopher never rode me again. He didn’t ride me because he was scared, even though he wasn’t hurt. 

    I never saw Lightning Flash ever again, either. Later I heard he was banned from racing in the U.S. from that day on for kicking an opponent. I was glad that Lightning Flash was banned. I didn’t hate him. I just hated his rude announcements and bad sportsmanship. I was also sad that I didn’t have an opponent that was challenging to race against. But at least I could still race. And even though no opponent was quite as hard to overcome, I still had opponents. And even after that strange day I still loved racing.